They are all "Free" to become Millionaires though.... providing they can stay healthy and not end up in terrible debt just for getting sick.

Re the Flood tax... unavoidable really. Although even I'm doubting the NBN now. I'm getting at least 17 Mb's on my current connection, Thats fast enough to stream most current video protocols live and with the way programmers can continue to bring out new compressed Hi def codecs. The NBN does seem a waste of time now.

Apparently they are going to scrap the very viable ADSL2+ network... which is where the real waste is.

Never heard anyone claim it was unique to Australia. What has been said is people are showing Australian mateship. After all, like it or not, we are in Australia. Maybe you would have prefer them to say English/ American/etc etc mateship, but that would have been ridiculous.

I think you're missing the point, they DO make out that this sort of think would only happen in Australia, which on more than one occasion I've seen

The difference with New Orleans was Bush didn't care what happened to it, no votes to be lost for him down there. Probably would be a different outcome if it happened with the current federal government. Americans generally are very giving in times of need.

Sounds exactly the kind of thing the mining tax is for.

Referring to a post earlier about rape- weren't there arrests for sexual assaults at a couple of evac centres in Qland?

Personally, I have found the "mateship" in Australia to be far better and more genuine than in the UK- people are more generous with their time and cash: possibly because the UK is suffering from charity fatigue. What happened in Australia was genuinely shocking, particularly for the people hit by the inland tsunami. Locally there are collections in almost every store, and you can donate online, and people are sending containers of essential goods up to affected areas to give to those who have lost everything. I'm donating a microwave and some bedding. People were so kind and went out of their way to help us when we arrived and our things didn't, due to French strikers, and they went out of their way to help us, when they didn't know us at all.

Now it is time to repay that kindness: a virtuous circle rather than a vicious one. BUT I'd be annoyed if they made it a compulsory tax.

They could put the NBN on hold. It'll be cheaper in a couple of years anyway.

No doubt there is going to be an inquest of some sort into insurance after this lot.

I wonder if it concludes that every household should have compulsory property insurance and who knows may be contents insurance too.

Similar to the fact that every car is insured.

Many people have paid for years to insure themselves yet a lot seem to have no cover at all.

Should they be baled out by the government (us) or told hard luck, you took the gamble?

Haven't missed the point. I think some people are putting that connotation on to what has been said. Must admit I did hear that silly woman, the GG , stutter and stumble to night, whilst trying to think of a word and ended up using the word unique to describe some Australian trait and I just shook my head.

Gillard did. Quite a few times.

im glad i am paying my bit after all they gave me a good wedge a few years ago,a bleedin lot more than i got off them pricks back in the land of grey sky!!

Yep, they do, don't they. Its been said by all the politicians that have come into work, repeatedly, and it was exactly the same after Cyclone Larry.I'm not the only non-Aussie there, and in the end I complained to our Media people. They seemed to be of the same opinion though, Aussies help each other out, other countries don't, they expect you to fend for yourselves. I gave her a mouthful about how the people of Sussex had helped each other out after the floods in 2000, not that it did any good but it made me feel better.

Yes I'm pretty sick of this mateship thing. They go on as if it's a trait off Australians only. It makes you wonder how the rest of the world ever gets over hardship.

Most Ozzies feel uncomfortable more than 50 KM from the local CBD and yet they invoke this colonial spirit as if it is unique to them. It borders on being mythical. When you ask them what it means they mumble Gallipoli, sold down the river at Singapore etc.

I do feel for the people who have struggled in the floods but I'm sorry I just don't get this mateship thing. It's as if they are saying if your neighbour is about to get washed down a storm drain the non Ozzie neighbour would do nothing but the dinky di true blue neighbour would be in like Flynn to save the day.

Keel

I find myself agreeing with you

The media, especially, have gone way over the top with this

No they always go over the top.

I find it difficult to feel compasionate to those affected when I see it reported like this.

Keel